Letter from The Washington Intern Program
I arrived in Washington, D.C. for the renowned March for Our Lives. Thousands of people filled the streets and my sign kept clashing with those of fellow protesters. We could barely breathe amidst the crowd, yet the speakers’ voices rang out clearly across the square. We were standing at the very heart of the government, but the march still fell upon deaf ears. Trump Hotel just stood there, the glare from its windows blurring the view of everything truly happening in the nation.
Though I’ve been in D.C. for just three days now, I’ve encountered constituents who sincerely believe that gun control reform would detract from their rights granted by the Constitution. They speak of the right to bear arms as an integral piece of their identity and they denounce any act that would lead to the potential of losing it.
Even when I’m just shooting at a target in my backyard, I enjoy it. However, the lives of innocent kids outweigh that enjoyment for me.
I know how to shoot a gun. Even when I’m just shooting at a target in my backyard, I enjoy it. However, the lives of innocent kids outweigh that enjoyment for me. I would be willing to make any concessions necessary to keep them safe.
In light of that sentiment, I don’t know how to respond to the frustrated people claiming that gun control will not have any effect whatsoever on our mass shooting rates. They belittle the march and refuse to see it for what it truly is: our nation coming together to recognize the issue of our deceased children being unjustly robbed of their futures.
On the other hand, I also met with some opponents of gun control. Some arrived to simply pay tribute to the lives lost, others conceded that they were peer-pressured into going and others still came for a myriad of reasons. The left, the right and the middle, a melting pot of our nation’s ideologies, stood among the ranks of the crowd. The tensions were certainly high, but this diverse group stuck together.
The march was an important event because our country has been polarized across party lines for years now. Gridlock has developed into a norm in this country. Diplomacy has rarely been the norm and parties refuse to negotiate given their positions. No modern gun control movement had the chance of crossing that political gap—until now. Whether or not a good portion of our country supports gun control, they stand behind the simple idea of our children having futures, of our children living beyond their elementary school years.
Whether or not anything comes of this march is uncertain at this time. Yet, amidst all of that jostling and all of the shouting, there was hope. The general consensus of the crowd was this: if these kids can stand up, why can’t we?
Today, the administration in Washington is continually changing: positions are vacated, filled, then vacated again. Perhaps this motion will allow for national discussion, which will bring the gun control movement to the forefront of our politicians’ agendas.
This remains to be seen. There are deservedly frustrated citizens in this country, and I hope that the actions of a few supposed “unruly” constituents can translate into something truly meaningful.